[He had kept himself at a reasonable distance from his brother, so there was still time for him to dodge the punch. He didn't bother striking back, and there wasn't any water around to bend. Bloodbending was, of course, a futile and dangerous endeavor in this situation.
Instead, he just backs up to the door, his hand on the knob. He could talk big and throw insults when they were just arguing, but he didn't want Noatak getting too close. He knew what happened to others in his situation before, and as much as his brother seemed apologetic for what he says he did, Tarrlok knew that his own bending could be taken again in an instant, in the heat of the moment. Permanently gone, just like that. And the last thing he wanted was to be defenseless here.
As much as he tried to look angry now, the truth was that he was frightened as well and some of that showed through no matter how much he tried to hide it.]
no subject
Instead, he just backs up to the door, his hand on the knob. He could talk big and throw insults when they were just arguing, but he didn't want Noatak getting too close. He knew what happened to others in his situation before, and as much as his brother seemed apologetic for what he says he did, Tarrlok knew that his own bending could be taken again in an instant, in the heat of the moment. Permanently gone, just like that. And the last thing he wanted was to be defenseless here.
As much as he tried to look angry now, the truth was that he was frightened as well and some of that showed through no matter how much he tried to hide it.]
Stay away from me, or I'm leaving.